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Tropfest winner Steve Baker was on top of the world on Sunday
night but his jubilation may be short-lived - an international
television broadcaster is examining his entry for possible
copyright infringement.

Yesterday the Herald revealed similarities between the
animator's winning entry for the short-film festival, An
Imaginary Life, and the American television series Foster's
Home for Imaginary Friends.

Baker's film features a blue blob called Andrew in a story about
abandoned imaginary friends. The four-time Emmy-winning television
series, created by the animator Craig McCracken, also stars a blue
blob, called Bloo, who lives in a home for imaginary friends.

Cartoon Network, a subsidiary of Turner Broadcasting, owns the
copyright to the series McCracken created for the network in 2004.
A statement from Cartoon Network's Hong Kong offices yesterday
said: "Yes, the similarities have been brought to our notice and we
are looking into the matter."

The Herald understands employees of the company were at
the Tropfest screening in the Domain on Sunday night and the
company's lawyers are looking at the material.

Baker has denied seeing the series but told the Herald on
Monday that Tropfest's founder, John Polson, had asked him about it
five weeks ago.

Tropfest organisers refused to comment yesterday and Polson,
reported to be returning to New York yesterday, was unavailable for
interview. A statement issued by the Tropfest office said any
similarity between the two shows was coincidental.

"During the initial pre-selection period, the possibility of
perceived similarities was identified by the festival but, after
subsequent checks with the filmmaker, we were satisfied that An
Imaginary Life was an original work that met all entry
requirements," the statement said.

"Steve Baker, the director of the winning film, is a three-time
finalist of Tropfest and a filmmaker whose integrity and body of
work is respected by John Polson and the entire Tropfest team."

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